Jan. 13, 2023Carter Walker / VotebeatNo significant changes found in hand recount of 2020 presidential election in Pa.’s Lycoming Countyby Carter Walker of VotebeatCounty commissioners agreed to the recount after being pressured by activists associated with election conspiracy groups.
Jan. 8, 2023Matt Smith / For Spotlight PAThis Pa. county is about to start a hand recount of its 2020 presidential election resultsby Carter Walker of VotebeatCounty commissioners ordered the recount under pressure from activists associated with an election conspiracy group and against the advice of the local election director.
Jan. 5, 2023CHARLES FOX / Philadelphia InquirerGov.-elect Josh Shapiro taps Trump target Al Schmidt to be Pa.’s top election officialby Carter Walker of VotebeatThe Republican Philadelphia city commissioner famously stood up to former President Donald Trump’s claims of election fraud in 2020 while receiving death threats.
Dec. 29, 2022Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PACentury-old law let voters file baseless recount petitions and delay Pa.’s election certificationby Carter Walker of VotebeatElection experts and advocates say the Pennsylvania legislature should update an outdated 1927 law that was written for an era of machine politics.
Dec. 29, 2022Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAThe Pennsylvania legislature is getting a major infusion of new blood this Januaryby Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PAThe nearly 50 new members of the state House will have to navigate a messy power struggle between Democrats and Republicans shortly after they are sworn in.
Dec. 12, 2022Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PADespite midterm losses, Pa. Republicans appear unlikely to abandon combative agendaby Katie Meyer of Spotlight PA and Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAAfter losing marquee races for governor and U.S. Senate, Pennsylvania Republicans are sticking to their combative agenda.
Dec. 10, 2022Commonwealth Media ServicesWith majority at stake, Pa. House Republicans sue to block Democratic-scheduled special electionsby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PADemocrats are eager for the contests to take place and presumably cement their majority, while Republicans seek to maintain some measure of power.
Dec. 10, 2022Jessica Griffin / Philadelphia InquirerCost of Pennsylvania governor’s race sets new record amid ‘campaign finance arms race’by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PAThe $100 million total price tag, more than half of which was spent by Democratic Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro, underscores the state’s notoriously weak campaign finance laws.
Dec. 9, 2022Matt Smith / For Spotlight PAWolf administration seeks to finish off Pa. Senate GOP’s languishing 2020 election inquiryby Carter Walker of VotebeatPennsylvania Senate Republicans requested partial Social Security and driver’s license numbers as part of a yearslong attempt to audit the 2020 election.
Dec. 7, 2022Alejandro A. Alvarez / Philadelphia InquirerDispute over Pa. House special elections, control likely heading to courtby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PADemocrat Joanna McClinton says she is now in control of the Pennsylvania House, a claim Republican leaders say amounts to a “paperwork insurrection.”
Dec. 1, 2022Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAUnprecedented number of recount requests delay election certification in at least 3 Pa. countiesby Carter Walker of VotebeatElection officials and courts are being forced to resolve more than 100 petitions apparently from right-wing activists, most without evidence of fraud.
Dec. 1, 2022Heather Khalifa / Philadelphia InquirerThe teams helping Josh Shapiro prepare to become Pa.’s governor include wealthy donors, Republicansby Katie Meyer of Spotlight PA and Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAThe Democrat is not the only governor-to-be who has given donors plum positions ahead of his inauguration, but some say the practice highlights the need to get money out of politics.
Nov. 29, 2022Matt Smith / For Spotlight PARejecting undated mail ballots disproportionately impacts communities of color in Pa., data showsby Carter Walker of VotebeatThe Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that undated and incorrectly dated mail ballots should not be counted in the Nov. 8 midterm election, a decision that is now being challenged in federal court.
Nov. 24, 2022Commonwealth Media ServicesPennsylvania House Democrats will lose their majority for at least a few weeks. Here’s why.by Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PATwo state lawmakers ran for reelection while also seeking different elected positions during the midterms. This totally legal strategy will put Pennsylvania House Democrats in a bind come January.
Nov. 23, 2022Commonwealth Media ServicesThe post-election review designed to give Pa. voters more confidence in the results, explainedby Carter Walker of VotebeatFollowing the 2022 midterms, all 67 Pennsylvania counties were required to participate in a "risk-limiting audit," which is designed to give statistical confidence in election results.
Nov. 23, 2022Heather Khalifa / Philadelphia InquirerHow Democrat Josh Shapiro won Pennsylvania’s 2022 election for governorby Katie Meyer of Spotlight PA and Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PASupporters and detractors alike agreed Shapiro had a weak opponent, strong outreach to rural areas, and a pragmatic policy message.
Nov. 18, 2022Alejandro A. Alvarez / Philadelphia InquirerThe Democratic takeover of the Pa. House will be a little messy to start. Here’s why.by Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PAWhen the Pennsylvania House’s new session begins on Jan. 3, at least one Democratic seat will be vacant — complicating the election of the chamber’s speaker.
Nov. 16, 2022Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PADemocrats win control of Pennsylvania state House after picking up 12 seatsby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PA and Katie Meyer of Spotlight PADemocrats have not controlled the chamber for more than a decade, and the win will allow lawmakers to advance policy priorities like raising the minimum wage.
Nov. 15, 2022Joe Lamberti / Philadelphia InquirerHave Democrats flipped the Pa. House? The latest on the deciding races.by Katie Meyer of Spotlight PAAttorneys for Democratic and Republican candidates in two close, still-uncalled races are haggling over whether to count several dozen provisional ballots.
Nov. 15, 2022Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAThis Pennsylvania county ran out of paper on Election Day. Now the district attorney is investigating.by Carter Walker of VotebeatOne week later, angry voters demand to know why Luzerne County polling places ran out of ballot paper.
Nov. 11, 2022Matt Smith / For Spotlight PAWATCH: A free panel on the winners of Pa.’s 2022 election and how they plan to run the stateby Spotlight PA StaffSpotlight PA held a discussion on who won, what they promised on the campaign trail, and how those plans might get implemented once they are in office.
Nov. 10, 2022Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PARepublican Doug Mastriano concedes Pa. governor’s race 4 days after Democrat Josh Shapiro declared winnerby Stephen Caruso, Angela Couloumbis, Kate Huangpu and Katie Meyer of Spotlight PAUnofficial results show Mastriano, a far-right state senator, lost to Shapiro by 14 points.
Nov. 10, 2022Carter Walker / VotebeatElection officials reported few issues complying with Pa.’s new continuous count rule for mail ballotsby Carter Walker of VotebeatThe requirement added fresh pressure and prompted counties to develop processes to ensure they complied with it.
Nov. 9, 2022Alejandro A. Alvarez / Philadelphia InquirerDemocrats believe they will take control of the Pennsylvania House for the first time in more than a decadeby Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PA and Kate Huangpu of Spotlight PAUnofficial results from Tuesday’s midterm election show that Democrats are expected to flip a number of Republican-controlled seats in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and State College.
Nov. 9, 2022Heather Khalifa / Philadelphia InquirerDemocrat Josh Shapiro will be Pennsylvania’s next governor. It promises to be his biggest challenge yet.by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Katie Meyer of Spotlight PAShapiro, who is currently the state’s attorney general, will have to navigate a state legislature that has often served as a foil to gubernatorial agendas.
Nov. 9, 2022Heather Khalifa / Philadelphia InquirerDemocrat Josh Shapiro elected governor of Pennsylvania, defeating Republican Doug Mastrianoby Katie Meyer of Spotlight PAThe current state attorney general vastly outspent Mastriano in the race and consistently led in the polls.
Nov. 8, 2022Amanda Berg / For Spotlight PAElection Day polls are closed in Pennsylvania. Here’s what happens now.by Stephen Caruso of Spotlight PA and Katie Meyer of Spotlight PAPennsylvania officials stressed that unofficial election results would likely not be available Tuesday for many key 2022 races.
Nov. 8, 2022Alejandro A. Alvarez / Philadelphia InquirerA judge did not change Pennsylvania's ballot deadline for the 2022 electionby Carter Walker of VotebeatAbsentee and mail ballots must be returned to county election offices by 8 p.m. on Election Day. Some false claims are spreading on social media.
Nov. 8, 2022Matt Smith / For Spotlight PAJohn Fetterman wins US Senate race in Pennsylvania, AP projectsby Spotlight PA StaffLive 2022 election updates from polling places across Pennsylvania, plus the latest news on results, ballot counts, legal challenges, and more.
Nov. 7, 2022Jessica Griffin / Philadelphia InquirerPhiladelphia makes late change to its vote-counting plan for 2022 Pa. election after GOP challengeby Katie Meyer of Spotlight PAThe city reinstated a procedure used to catch people who vote both by mail and in person, but the vote count will now take longer than expected.
